


I know a land called the land of the living

by Beleriandings



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Fix-It, M/M, Post-Audio 03: The House of the Dead, Very Very Sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:54:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25616947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beleriandings/pseuds/Beleriandings
Summary: They stood together, blinking in the streetlight as the dust settled around them, car alarms blaring in the distance."I can'tbelievethat worked" Ianto said.
Relationships: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Comments: 20
Kudos: 65





	I know a land called the land of the living

The explosion rattled the windows all the way down the street as the Rift flared bright and then imploded in on itself with an strange, inverted _pop_.

They stood together, blinking in the streetlight as the dust settled around them, car alarms blaring in the distance.

"I can't _believe_ that worked" Ianto said, holding up his hand in front of his eyes and turning it over as though to check it was real. His other hand, he realised, was in Jack’s, though he didn’t remember that happening. He left it there, squeezing tighter, grounding himself in Jack’s touch.

When he turned to meet Jack’s eyes they were hopeful, filled with emotion so raw it almost scared him. As though Jack could barely let himself believe this was real. “Yeah” Jack managed, voice sounding a little choked. “Me neither.”

“Well” said Ianto, frowning. “What now?”

“Now...” Jack’s eyes didn’t leave his, holding his gaze as though there was nothing else in the world. “Listen, Ianto, I never said it properly before...”

Ianto almost drew back at the intensity in Jack’s gaze, a tear tracking down his face and reflecting the light. “Doesn’t need saying” he said before he could stop himself; he could still remember Thames House, how when he’d said the words with his last breaths they’d tasted like desperation, like a final promise. He couldn’t let this be final; there had to be more, and perhaps now there could be.

But Jack was insistent. “Yes it does. Ianto Jones, I love you.”

And just as easily as that, all his reasoning from a moment ago crumbled. “And I love you too Jack” he found himself saying before his brain could catch up.

And then he was pushing forward, lips meeting Jack’s in a kiss salty with both their tears as sirens blared in the distance.

When they broke apart, Jack’s lips were still parted as though he mourned the loss of Ianto’s lips already. Then he laughed, short and surprised. “You _are_ real!”

“I should hope so” said Ianto.

There it was, the ghost of Jack’s old smile that he loved so well. “Think I’m gonna need another demonstration, to be fully convinced...”

“Well, when you put it like that...”

And with nothing to stop him, Ianto kissed him again, arms going around Jack’s neck and leaning his full body weight against him. Jack’s arms came up around his waist a moment later, encircling him reverently.

Like the most precious treasure in the universe.

Like a promise that though everything was different now, some things hadn’t changed a bit.

**Author's Note:**

> I impulse wrote this because I was talking to [princess-of-the-worlds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessoftheworlds/pseuds/princessoftheworlds) and [engagemythrusters](https://archiveofourown.org/users/engagemythrusters/pseuds/engagemythrusters) about my dumb idea for a House of the Dead AU where Jack and Ianto just yeet the box into the Rift and run, and it actually _works_ , and they managed to make me feel strongly enough about it to write an actual ficlet. Which then turned deeply sappy. I hope you enjoyed!  
> (Title is from [Land of the Living](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay80nO7xzSo) by Roo Panes, which has major House of the Dead good timeline vibes to me... I encourage you to give it a listen in this context)


End file.
